PHOENIX — Online vacation rental company Airbnb supports proposed legislation that would impose penalties on short-term rental hosts who violate local Arizona nuisance, health, and safety laws.
SB 1379drafted by Senator JD Mesnard, would give local cities the power to impose fines and other penalties on hosts who break the laws.
Those penalties would increase for repeat offenders, and three violations in a 12-month period would allow the state to revoke short-term rental licenses.
“Airbnb supports Senator Mesnard’s bill and commends him for his efforts to give cities new tools to address hosts who are negatively impacting the quality of life in their communities,” said John Choi, Airbnb’s head of public policy, in a statement.
“The vast majority of hosts in Arizona contribute positively to their neighborhoods, and we look forward to supporting state and local authorities in their efforts to craft sensible rules that preserve homeowners’ property rights and the economic benefits that home sharing provides. to Arizonans.”
Airbnb said it suspended or removed 50 listings in Arizona last year for complaints it received about parties or other policy violations.
One such complaint came when a teenager was injured after an exchange of gunfire following a fight at a party at a vacation rental home in Scottsdale in July.
Short-term rentals remain a valuable tax asset for the state.
Airbnb said it generated about $87 million in taxes for the state of Arizona between 2017 and 2020.
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